Nombres 23
1 Et Balaam dit à Balak: Bâtis-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers.
Balaam said to King Balak, “Build seven altars for me here. Then kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
2 Et Balak fit comme Balaam avait dit; et Balak et Balaam offrirent un taureau et un bélier sur [chaque] autel.
So Balak did that. And then he and Balaam each burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
3 Et Balaam dit à Balak: Tiens-toi auprès de ton offrande, et je m’en irai; peut-être que l’Éternel viendra à ma rencontre, et ce qu’il m’aura fait voir je te le rapporterai. Et il s’en alla sur une hauteur découverte.
Then Balaam said to Balak, “You stand here close to your burned offerings, and I will go and ask Yahweh if he has something else to tell me. Then I will tell you what he says to me.” Then Balaam went by himself to the top of a hill,
4 Et Dieu rencontra Balaam, et [Balaam] lui dit: J’ai préparé sept autels, et j’ai offert un taureau et un bélier sur [chaque] autel.
and God appeared to him there. Balaam said to him, “We have built seven altars, and I have killed and burned a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice to you] on each altar.”
5 Et l’Éternel mit une parole dans la bouche de Balaam, et dit: Retourne vers Balak, et tu parleras ainsi.
Then Yahweh gave Balaam a message to give to King Balak. Then he said, “Go back and tell him what I told you.”
6 Et il s’en retourna vers lui; et voici, il se tenait auprès de son offrande, lui et tous les seigneurs de Moab.
When Balaam returned to Balak, Balak was standing with the leaders from Moab beside the offerings he had burned [on the altar].
7 Et [Balaam] proféra son discours sentencieux, et dit: Balak, roi de Moab, m’a amené d’Aram, des montagnes d’orient: Viens, maudis-moi Jacob! viens, appelle l’exécration sur Israël!
This is the message that Balaam told them: “Balak, the King of Moab, summoned me to come here from Syria; he brought me here from the hills at the eastern side of Syria. He said, ‘Come and curse the descendants of Jacob for me, saying that bad things will happen to these Israeli people!’
8 Comment maudirai-je ce que Dieu n’a pas maudit? Et comment appellerai-je l’exécration sur celui que l’Éternel n’a pas en exécration?
But (how can I curse people whom God has not cursed?/I certainly cannot curse people whom God has not cursed!) [RHQ] (How can I condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned?/I cannot condemn people whom Yahweh has not condemned!) [RHQ]
9 Car du sommet des rochers je le vois, et des hauteurs je le contemple. Voici, c’est un peuple qui habitera seul, et il ne sera pas compté parmi les nations.
I have seen them from the tops of the rocky peaks. I see that they are a group of people who live by themselves; they have separated themselves from other nations.
10 Qui est-ce qui comptera la poussière de Jacob, et le nombre de la quatrième partie d’Israël? Que mon âme meure de la mort des hommes droits, et que ma fin soit comme la leur.
(Who can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)?/No one can count the descendants of Jacob; they are as numerous as particles of (dust/dirt)!) [RHQ] (Who can count even a quarter of the Israeli people?/No one can count even a quarter of the Israeli people!) [RHQ] I wish/hope that I will die like righteous people die; I hope that I will die [peacefully] like they will die.”
11 Et Balak dit à Balaam: Que m’as-tu fait? Je t’avais pris pour maudire mes ennemis, et voici, tu les as bénis expressément.
Then Balak said, “What have you done to me [RHQ]? I brought you here to curse my enemies, but instead you have (blessed them/asked Yahweh to bless them)!”
12 Et il répondit et dit: Ne prendrai-je pas garde de dire ce que l’Éternel aura mis dans ma bouche?
But Balaam replied, “I can [RHQ] say only what Yahweh tells me to say. I cannot say anything else.”
13 Et Balak lui dit: Viens, je te prie, avec moi, dans un autre lieu d’où tu puisses le voir; tu n’en verras que l’extrémité, et tu ne le verras pas tout entier; et maudis-le-moi de là.
Then King Balak told Balaam, “Come with me to another place. There you will see only part of the Israeli people, and you will be able to curse those people for me.”
14 Et il le conduisit au champ de Tsophim, au sommet du Pisga, et il bâtit sept autels, et offrit un taureau et un bélier sur [chaque] autel.
So Balak took Balaam to a field on the top of Pisgah [Mountain]. There, again he built seven altars and offered a young bull and a ram [as a sacrifice] on each altar.
15 Et [Balaam] dit à Balak: Tiens-toi ici auprès de ton offrande, et moi, j’irai à la rencontre, là…
Then Balaam said to the king, “Stand here close to your burned offerings, while I go and talk with Yahweh.”
16 Et l’Éternel vint à la rencontre de Balaam, et mit une parole dans sa bouche, et dit: Retourne vers Balak, et tu parleras ainsi.
So Balaam did that, and Yahweh appeared to Balaam again and gave him another message. Then he said, “Go back to Balak and tell him that message.”
17 Et il vint à lui, et voici, il se tenait auprès de son offrande, et les seigneurs de Moab avec lui. Et Balak lui dit: Qu’a dit l’Éternel?
So Balaam returned to where the king and the leaders from Moab were standing, next to the altar where Balak had burned the sacrifices. Balak asked him, “What did Yahweh say?”
18 Et il proféra son discours sentencieux, et dit: Lève-toi, Balak, et écoute! Prête-moi l’oreille, fils de Tsippor!
Then Balaam told him this message: “Balak, listen carefully; hear what I have to say, you son of Zippor [DOU]!
19 Dieu n’est pas un homme, pour mentir, ni un fils d’homme, pour se repentir: aura-t-il dit, et ne fera-t-il pas? aura-t-il parlé, et ne l’accomplira-t-il pas?
God is not a human being. Humans lie, but God never lies. He never changes his mind/thoughts, as humans do. Whatever he has said that he will do, he does.
20 Voici, j’ai reçu [mission] de bénir; il a béni et je ne le révoquerai pas.
He commanded me [to request him] to bless [the Israelis], So he has blessed them, and I cannot change that.
21 Il n’a pas aperçu d’iniquité en Jacob, ni n’a vu d’injustice en Israël; l’Éternel, son Dieu, est avec lui, et un chant de triomphe royal est au milieu de lui.
Yahweh their God is with/helping them; they have declared that he is their true king. So the descendants of Jacob will not be harmed; they will not have any troubles [DOU].
22 Dieu les a fait sortir d’Égypte; il a comme la force des buffles.
God brought them out of Egypt [where they were slaves]; he is as strong as a wild ox.
23 Car il n’y a pas d’enchantement contre Jacob, ni de divination contre Israël. Selon ce temps il sera dit de Jacob et d’Israël: Qu’est-ce que Dieu a fait?
When people curse [PRS] the descendants of Jacob, they will not be harmed; when people work sorcery on them, it will have no power. So now people will say about the descendants of Jacob, ‘God has done wonderful things for the Israelis!’
24 Voici, le peuple se lèvera comme une lionne, et se dressera comme un lion; il ne se couchera pas qu’il n’ait mangé la proie, et bu le sang des tués.
They are very strong, like lionesses that are ready to attack [other animals]; they stand firm like lions. The lions refuse to rest until they have [killed and] eaten their prey, and drunk the blood of the animals they slaughtered.”
25 Et Balak dit à Balaam: Ne le maudis donc pas; mais du moins ne le bénis pas.
Then Balak said to Balaam, “If you will not curse them, then [I certainly] do not [want you to] bless them!”
26 Et Balaam répondit et dit à Balak: Ne t’ai-je pas parlé, disant: Tout ce que l’Éternel dira, je le ferai?
But Balaam replied, “I told you that I must do only what Yahweh tells me to do!”
27 Et Balak dit à Balaam: Viens donc, je te conduirai à un autre lieu: peut-être sera-t-il bon aux yeux de Dieu que tu me le maudisses de là.
Then King Balak said to Balaam, “Come with me; I will take you to another place. Perhaps it will please God to allow you to curse them from that place.”
28 Et Balak conduisit Balaam au sommet du Péor, qui se montre au-dessus de la surface du désert.
So Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor [Mountain] where they could look down [and see the Israelis in] the desert.
29 Et Balaam dit à Balak: Bâtis-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers.
Balaam again told Balak, “Build me seven altars again and kill seven young bulls and seven rams [for a sacrifice].”
30 Et Balak fit comme Balaam avait dit; et il offrit un taureau et un bélier sur [chaque] autel.
So Balak did what Balaam told him to do. He burned a young bull and a ram on each altar as sacrifices.
